An Inevitable Burden
by Tapemaster
Summary: The life of a huntress comes with a responsibility. But only in the heat of the moment does the weight of that burden fully show.


I do not own RWBY nor am I affiliated with Rooster Teeth

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><p>She tore through the woods. Night had fallen and she had only her sword in hand. Desperately she leaped over dead trees and tore through brush and wooded areas, branches whipping her face and leaving pink welts across her cheeks.<p>

She had to get home.

If any animal or person got a glimpse of the speeding huntress, they would only see a flash of white. But it would be enough, for she was well known for her capabilities of destroying the creatures of Grimm. She had never failed any of her hunts.

But that might change tonight.  
>Dozens of beowolves trailed her from behind, their howls echoing through the forest. Normally it would be easy for the huntress to simply stop and wait for the battle to come to her, this was her style of fighting. But something else was in the picture this time.<p>

Her baby.

It was supposed to be a quick hunt. It was supposed to be something she could just take care of and be home before dinner.

But she couldn't have been more wrong.

There was only supposed to be one pack. One she could handle. She was fighting with ease, not a scratch on her. But then...

She could see more packs.

Dozens more. Easily amounting to over 200 beowolves.

And they weren't just going towards where she was located. They were in front of her, headed towards the city miles away.

Her house was there.

Her husband was there.

Her children were there.

Her child of 2 years and her baby that had been born only months before.

No.

So here she was. Her. The famous Summer Rose. Fleeing the scene. Running for her life.

But not out of fear of losing her own.

A beowolf caught up to her, it's claws shredding the end of her white cloak. With one swift movement she spun around and drove her sword into the body, while continuing to use the momentum to do a full turn and land on the ground facing forward. She kept running.

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><p>"Momma?"<p>

"Yes Yang, what is it?"

Yang, the oldest daughter was no doubt a smart two year old. She could already form sentences and more or less communicate with adults without them swimming through toddler-talk.

"Can I be a huntress like Momma?"

Summer stopped abruptly and turned around, holding her youngest daughter in her arms feeding her a bottle.

"What?"

"Can I be a huntress like you Momma?"

Summer stared at her daughter for a few moments. "...where did you learn that word?"

"What word?"

"Huntress. Who taught you that word?"

Summer had been adamant about keeping her form of work in the dark for the sake of her children. As much as she enjoyed her career, the last thing she wanted was her family, her _children_ to worry about her.

"Uncle Qrow."

Upon hearing that name, her blood began to boil with rage. She had warned her brother not to speak of that sort of thing around her daughter. And now not only was the toddler full aware of what her mother was doing, she wanted to be like 'Momma'. As much as she would like to be flattered, Summer knew that Yang had no idea how terribly dangerous and violent the job was all the time. But then again she didn't want to let her know just HOW violent, she didn't want her to worry about her mother.

Still holding the baby in her arms, Summer knelt down to Yang's height, and very calmly and soothingly said, "I hope you don't have to be like Momma. I hope that by the time you're big and have babies of your own that there won't be any reason to be like me honey."

"What about Ruby? Can she be a huntress like Momma?"

Summer felt a cold grip of terror grab at her heart at the thought. The being she held close to her bosom was so small and vulnerable... She could not fathom the idea of her becoming a huntress. Going after ursi, death stalkers, beowolves. The injuries she could sustain, all the possible ways she could perish...

Summer stood up and put Ruby's empty bottle on the counter as the young girl drifted off into slumber. "No Yang. Ruby will probably not be a huntress."

"Well then I want to be a huntress to protect Ruby!" Yang exclaimed with a smile.

That got Summer to smile somewhat. She knew that Yang loved her baby sister more than life itself. "Well that's why Momma's a huntress, Yang."

"Hm?" Asked Yang, a little puzzled.

"I'm a huntress so you won't have to be one too. I'm protecting you so you don't have to be scared. And as long as I'm here, you don't have to worry or protect anyone. Because Momma's going to protect you."

Yang's smile grew until it was ear to ear. Summer knelt down again and extended her arm to Yang, and the little blonde girl went in for a hug, careful not to bump her sleeping sister that was in her mother's opposite arm.

"Off to bed sweety. Daddy will be home soon, and Momma has to go to work."

"Ok." Yawned a very sleepy toddler.

Ruby in her right arm, and Yang's hand in her left, Summer walked the girls up to their room, placing Ruby in her crib and tucking Yang into bed. Kissing them both on the forehead, she bid them goodnight. As she descended from the stairs, she heard a car pull into the driveway. She heard his footsteps outside the door and no sooner did he enter the house, she took him into the kitchen so as not to disturb their children.

"What were you thinking leaving Qrow alone with Yang?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Yang just asked me about 15 minutes ago if she and Ruby could be huntresses."

His eyes widened.

"That's right." Summer stated. "Your daughter wants to be a huntress like Momma."

"It was only supposed to be for a little while, and you were on a hunt. Ruby had a fever and I needed to get her to the doctor. Yang couldn't be with me, your brother was the only other choice. I didn't actually think he would talk about that!"

"This is exactly what I was afraid of... I don't want them to pursue my career. The thought of them being hurt is just... Just..."

Her husband put his hands on her shoulders and brought her in to a firm embrace.

"I know. You don't want that kind of life for them, I don't either. But just because Yang knows doesn't mean she'll really pursue your career, she's only two years old."

"I understand but I don't want to take any chances... But it's not just that, I wanted them to find out when they got older so they won't worry about me when I'm away during longer hunts. I want them to know that I will always protect them."

Her husband pulled away and gently moved his wife's hair from her face. "Yang knows you'll protect them, and Ruby will understand too."

At the mention of her youngest daughter's name, that same grip of fear that had taken her heart hostage before, returned.

"Ruby can't be a huntress."

Taken aback, her husband asked "What do you mean?"

"She just cant. She's... Different from Yang. She's still young but I can already tell. I can feel it."

"Summer, don't you think you're looking a little far into this? Ruby is only a few months old, what sense is there in worrying about that?"

Summer didn't have an answer for that. But something... SOMETHING about her youngest daughter was different.

She was advanced. She was a mere 7 months old and she already seemed to understand the world around her. What was up, down. Who people were. She could remember where things were placed, never failing to crawl by the counters where her favorite toys were kept out of reach. She liked to play with books. Studying each page with as much intensity as a baby could give, it almost seemed as if she could actually read them. She very well may have a prodigy for a daughter.

And that thought terrified her.

"She's like me... I know it's so early but I can already tell. She's going to be advanced, she's going to do well in society. But... That scares me. I don't want her to get hurt. I understand if she chooses to become a huntress but if she-"

She was cut off by a kiss from her husband. Pulling away, he firmly but gently grasped the sides of her shoulders and said "RELAX. Ruby is a baby. This isn't the time to be worrying about that. It's-"

This time, he was cut off by a beeping. Summer's scroll lit up. They both knew what that meant.

"You need to get going on that hunt. How long should it be?"

Summer opened her scroll and checked the details.

"Just a beowolf pack, I should be home tomorrow, well before dinner."

"Then I'll see you when you get back." He replied, wrapping his arms around her once again.

Summer returned the embrace, and after a brief kiss, quickly went to her daughters' room. Silently, she made her way to Yang's bed, stroking her hair as she slept, planting a multiple kisses on her forehead and cheeks. She then made her way to Ruby's crib, stopping to look at her bundle of joy.

Summer reached into the crib and gently picked up her baby, cradling her. She touched their foreheads together and closed her eyes, silently wishing to her beloved daughter.

_Don't be like Momma. The burden I carry is a great one: not only must I protect you, I must protect the world... I can't bear to see that kind of responsibility on you. My child. My beautiful rose._

She kissed her daughter on the forehead and bid her pleasant dreams. After placing her back in the crib, Summer left the room to begin her hunt.

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><p>And yet here she was.<p>

The packs ahead of her greatly outnumbered the ones she had behind her. How did this happen?

"Oh God..."

The beowolves were nearing the city's entrance. They entered the canyon that was located just a mile outside the city gates. And Summer knew that once they exited, there was no way anyone could stop them.

The rocks surrounding and inside the canyon were so unsteady and shaky, threatening to trip the huntress as she fought to catch up to the packs. They were still far ahead but she was catching up.

She slipped on a stone.

She fell.

Hearing a pop, and feeling the tremendous pain in her right leg, she cried out as she hit the ground. She couldn't move her leg without almost passing out.

She had failed.

The esteemed. Honored. Privileged huntress Summer Rose had failed.

And now everyone was going to die because of her.

Everyone...

The pain was causing her head to swim. Sprawled out, she could also tell that the fall had cracked some of her ribs, the rocks she had landed on were sharp and jagged. Her blood stained her white cloak. She could no longer move. And even if she could get up, she was in no condition to fight any more beowolves.

Her hands moved to her belt, opening a pouch and grabbing a syringe. The concentrated morphine was always a huntress' or huntsman's last resort for survival. The shot would only allow her to move and gain her strength for about a minute and a half, while temporarily healing most of her injuries. It wasn't much but she needed it.

She could feel the ground tremble as the pack of beowolves from behind neared her once again.

She didn't even know why she was about to give herself the morphine, what was the point? She had failed. There was nothing she could do.

_Ruby..._

Her eyes opened.

_Ruby._

_RUBY._

She must keep her alive. She must at LEAST keep her baby alive.

Her home was not far from the city gates. The beowolves would get to her family in a short amount of time.

If she could just get ahead of the wolves, she could save her family. Get them out before it was too late. Save them before their deaths were handed to them early.

She hurriedly tried to find a vein, hand shaking as wolves behind her neared, and the packs ahead of her ebbed closer to the city.

She found the spot.

She poked through the skin, ready to shoot the liquid fire into her veins when-

_YOU'RE A HUNTRESS._

Her own thoughts called out to her.

_ YOU CAN STOP THIS. YOUR DUTY IS NOT ONLY TO YOUR FAMILY, BUT TO EVERYONE._

Her heart in her throat, she realized she had a choice.

Shoot up. Race to her house. Grab her family and get them out of town before they receive the same fate the entire city will befall.

Or...

She made her choice.

_I have to do this..._

She closed her eyes and pushed the syringe, the morphine immediately silencing her screaming nerves. The temporary healing ailment sealing all the cracks in her bones, all the muscles reaching full stamina.

She had less than two minutes.

Using all of her aura, she focused all of her energy on her semblance. Speed.

The medicine pumping through her body, she counted down.

90 seconds.

She tore through the canyon, the world becoming a giant blur.

She neared the exit.

The packs of beowolves just ahead of her.

Summoning one final burst of speed she shot through the air, sword in hand, landing in the middle of the pack.

60 seconds.

Manically swinging her weapon side to side, tears streaming down her face, she fought her way to the front of the pack. All the wolves behind her now.

30 seconds.

The career of a huntsman or huntress comes with a great responsibility. You dedicate your life to the protection of the people. Not just your family. Your life belongs to every single one of those people you vowed to protect.

15 seconds.

Summer made a choice.

She did what she had to do.

She neared the edge of the canyon. The wolves not far behind her she grabbed the enhanced grenade she prayed she would never have to use.

Powerful enough to destroy a city.

10 seconds.

As she reached the edge of the canyon, she raced up the sides, rolling down huge rocks and boulders, blocking the exit from the wolves. But they would have no trouble climbing over them.

Unless they were in pieces.

5 seconds.

Summer stood in front of the barrier she created. Tears streamed down her face as she recalled the smiling faces of Yang and Ruby. The playful laughter of them at the park, the sweet moments of Yang caring for her baby sister. The thoughts of what kind of women they would one day become. Those she vowed to protect. Until the very end.

3 seconds.

The wolves were upon her.

She activated the grenade.

The explosion was astronomical.

Powerful enough to take out a city. That was the design of the small device.

Which meant it was powerful enough to bring down a canyon on top of hundreds of beowolves.

The sides of the canyon crumbled. Any wolves that were not caught in the blast of heat were crushed by the boulders loosened by the explosion. The shockwave of the blast ricocheting against the sides of the canyon ever increasing the damage the farther back it went.

The barrier Summer had so hastily created at the end of the canyon was just enough to stop the blast from going behind her and into the city.

Summer had made a sacrifice.

For her family.

For the people she vowed to protect.

For her baby.

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><p>Ruby stood up, leaving her mother's grave. Her hood brought over her head in the cold of winter, the red cloak standing out against the white of the snow.<p>

Walking through the forest she reflected on what her mother had given her. The life she had. The inspiration.

The need to continue what her mother could not.

The movement did not go unnoticed by the young girl. She was fully aware of the beowolves that surrounded her.

But she was not afraid.

As they attacked her, she jumped into the air, twisting and aiming her sniper rifle at her enemy.

_I can protect myself now mother._

She fired. Taking out a wolf.

She landed on her feet and switched her weapon from gun to scythe.

_I won't waste my life in vain._

She smiled slightly. Taking on the wolves now attacking her.

_Because you allowed me to keep it._

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><p><strong>AN**

**So... it's 5am. I wrote this in a span of two or three days. Didn't really know where it was going.**

**Hope you enjoy anyways.**

**Reviews are appreciated, suggestions and requests are welcome!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Tapemaster**


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